This entrepreneur ensures that a home is bought judiciously

It takes courage for an entrepreneur to venture into territory that is unchartered. There are no markers to guide in the journey and no precedents to learn from. Nitin Shingote of Meazurement™ Home Services LLP is one such trailblazer who has started India’s first home inspection company based out of Mumbai.

Nitin believes that the buying of a home can be the single most important investment a family makes. In his time working as a civil engineer, Nitin discovered that many people are quite confused when it comes to assessing the quality of the homes for sale and ascertaining the carpet area. He felt that this ignorance of the clients is exploited by brokers and developers who brush over the negatives in a home to make a deal. This is where Meazurement steps in. The company provides an unbiased, holistic appraisal of the house using state-of the art technology to inform the buyer prior to purchase of the true condition of the property. Nitin plans on expanding further into Maharashtra and eventually hopes to take his practice to other large states in the country as well.

In conversation with GlobalLinker (GL) Nitin Shingote (NS) shares the journey of his company, its milestones and future plans.

GL: Tell us about your business.

NS: I am a civil engineer & I have worked as a project engineer in the construction industry for the last 8 years. While working, I interacted with people at the time of construction of the building. I realised that many were confused about the quality and the actual carpet area of the premises. In Mumbai at the time no one provided home inspection services. To solve this problem in the construction & real estate industry we started Meazurement in 2014. We provide home inspection & maintenance services in Mumbai & nearby areas.

Home buying is exciting, momentous and the single largest investment for most people. But it can be stressful - especially when selling parties cheat the real estate buyer. They can provide less carpet area (eg. 380 sq. ft. instead of 400 sq. ft.). When someone buys a home, they’re also buying all of its problems - water leakages, moisture on walls, unsafe wiring/electrical work and defects in plumbing, roof, floor surfaces and paint, windows and doors, problems with the foundation and dry rot. Most people are not sure how to gauge the physical condition of a house.

That’s where the experts at Meazurement come in. While the real estate buyer focuses on the home’s style, price and neighbourhood, we take care of evaluating carpet area and major systems - like the state of plumbing, electricals, walls, roof, floor surfaces, paint, windows and doors. Then we provide our client with a written report to make the best buying decision possible. Meazurement gives the unbiased, professional opinion you need, when you need it most.

GL: What are the challenges you have faced in establishing your business?

NS: The main challenge is that home inspection is a new kind of service in India & there is not much awareness of its use and availability. Coming from a middle-class family we didn’t have much money to invest in our business. Till date we do not spend any significant money on advertising. Also, in India there is no regulatory framework for the home inspection business. Due to this the public is not predisposed to use our services.

GL: What is the USP of your business?

NS: We offer high quality service, technology, and expertise to our customers when they invest in real estate. We inspect customer home/property to ensure the home is well constructed and other home facilities that are provided are up to scratch. When we adhere to this maxim everything falls into place. Our service exceeds the expectations of our customers. We offer competitive prices in the market and use high-end technology to complete home inspection services. That is our USP.

GL: What role do you feel GlobalLinker plays in connecting and assisting SMEs?

NS: GlobalLinker allows entrepreneurs to network in a way that was not so easy before. This can help with business growth because other businesses could provide solutions to problems that you face. It is a forum that really promotes solutions and I will be looking to leverage this in the future. Specifically, finding firms that do similar work to what you do can enable the growth of an SME through dialogue and idea-sharing.

GL: What is your big business dream?

NS: My big business dream is that no house should be bought without home inspection. In India, where the customer is cheated by the developer, real estate broker, seller about everything from the carpet area to the conditions of home & about the amenities, this is necessary.

To grow your business your main motto should be 100% customer satisfaction. We want to get funding in the near future for us to launch services in other parts of Maharashtra & eventually cover India’s other big states step by step.

GL: What is your message to aspiring entrepreneurs?

NS: Think big & work hard. There should be road map before you start your startup. So dream big & of course, put in all efforts, keep innovating & striving towards your goal. Most importantly, always run a tight & lean ship. Do not burden the business with unnecessary costs and overheads like high travel costs etc.

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